The Black Spirit
by The Purest Trinity
Summary: When she showed up at Malfoy Manor in the middle of the night Narcissa knew there would be trouble. Where her sister was concerned there always was. How Bella, Sirius, Andromeda, and Narcissa got to be where they are.
1. Prologue

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Chapter:** One, Prologue

**Authoress' Note:** The rating is for later chapters. This is the story of how the members on the Black family got to be where they are, please review. Future chapters will be longer, this is just an introduction.

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Somehow she wasn't surprised when her sister showed up on her doorstep in the middle of a storm ravaged night. There was nothing to say so Narcissa stepped aside and allowed the broken creature to enter Malfoy Manor. Long, raven hair that she had loved to run her fingers through as a child was dirty and tangled, covered with grease and grime. Grey eyes that she had once loved to lose staring contests to had lost all of their intensity and passion. Instead they are dull and haunted. Once inside she moves no further, simply stands there dripping water onto the previously immaculate, marble foyer floor. The rags she had been provided in Azkaban clung to her pale skin.

Although she does not seem to register it Narcissa knew that she must be freezing. Quickly, she ran up the stairs and grabbed a light blue robe but ended up putting in back in exchange for a black one. It seemed more appropriate. When she returned, she was still sitting there staring into nothingness. Usually she would hesitate to put the fine black silk on her filthy sister, but this was Bellatrix. Bellatrix Black was above all pure, a dark goddess and Narcissa had no qualms about putting the robe on her. Although she complies to putting on the robe and allows her sister to cast a drying charm, her eyes still held no recognition. Narcissa's heart was heavy at seeing her sister reduced to this. Another part of her was overjoyed that her sister had finally, by some miracle, returned to her.

Leading her to the master chamber, Narcissa sat down on the bed behind her sister and ran an ivory brush through the long tangles. When it catches on the knots she mutters gentle reassurances to her, but Bellatrix didn't seem to notice the pain. After such a long stint in the wizarding prison she knew this wasn't the kind of restoration Bella needed but it was the only kind Narcissa felt qualified to provide. To be honest she wasn't all that concerned about her sister's mental state. Bellatrix was crazy long before the mess with the Longbottoms and her apprehension by the aurors.

"Mother?" Spoke a voice from the door. His face did not change at the sight of his aunt but she knew her son well enough to know he was shocked. Malfoys never allowed their emotions to be read, it was a sign of weakness.

To Narcissa's suprise it was he son that snapped Bella out of her trance. "Ah...little dragon," hissed Bella, her voice hoarse and stilted from disuse. "You've grown well I see. That is good, I'd sooner see you dead at my feet then see another traitor pass through the Black family."

Her eyes were far away and I knew she was thinking about Sirius, reliving the past thanks to those damn demeantors. His betrayl had stung her, been her undoing in a way, the one person who may have salvaged her had turned his back.

Voice laced with dislike Draco stated, "I'm a Malfoy, not a Black." That was true, Lucius had made sure of that much. Sharply Bella's hand connected with his face, ragged nails scraping against his pale skin and leaving crimson marks. Draco's eyes burned with anger but he did not even flinch, he was much too proud.

Bella's voice was mockingly gentle as she said, "It's all the same to me boy. The Malfoys, the Lestranges, the Blacks. All those pure of blood."

Coming to her bearings she got up and flaunted across the room, glancing out the window. Satisfied by the dark and silent night she flicked her long, dark hair over her shoulder, "Probably a coward like your father anyway."

"Bella!"

She sneered, "That's correct Narcissa. Lucius escaped in the break out and where is he? Hiding, the coward. Unable to face his master or his family," she spat with disgust.

"He'll be back," Draco said angrily, eyes glinting like steel.

"No, my dear boy, he won't. He's saving his own skin." She gave him an appraising look, "But you. Draco, have you ever considered joining the Dark Lord's ranks? Restore the family name and show him that there is still a place for the Malfoy family in his new order."

Looking thoughtful, Narcissa feared for her small serpent in a world full of dragons. He was much like Bella had been at that age, too much in fact.

"Draco," she snapped sharply, "please leave us be. I need to speak to your aunt in private."

Looking indignant at being sent away, he still obeyed just as he had been taught. Narcissa spun on her sister who no longer looked fragile, but fierce. "You will stay away from my son while you stay here."

She gave a deep, throaty laugh and whispered, "Do not fear, my dear sister."

Those words Bellatrix had whispered to her many times before.

She was a fool to listen to those words then.

She was a fool to listen to those words now.


	2. Define Family

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Chapter:** Two, Define Family

**Authoress' Note:** Here's chapter two, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, they really motivated me to get this chapter done and the next one started. All constructive criticism is welcome as well as what you'd like to see in future chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Pick up your copy of the latest Harry Potter book. Unless someone has crossed out the word J. K. Rowling and replaced them with _Stormy Llewellyn_ then I still don't own anything.

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Narcissa waved away the skittish house elf who had a none to good past with Bella's visits. For the past hour she'd been treating her older sister as if she were sick, which in reality she was. However, it would probably take more then chicken soup to fix the woman. Prisoners were provided very little food in Azkaban, so Narcissa knew better then to give Bellatrix anything too heavy because she wouldn't be able to keep it down. Bellatrix had retreated into her thoughts since her most recent outburst and her eyes had grown rather glassy. It was probably best to distract her from said thoughts, they couldn't be pleasant.

She reached underneath the bed and pulled out an old leather bound book and a box, "I have the family photo album, do you remember taking these?"

The first few pages were of Lucius' and Narcissa's wedding day. The two of them at the alter focused on each other and speaking loving words that now made her feel bitter. Both of them twirling around the dance floor in a slow waltz at the reception. Bella smiled slightly at this and rasped, "Those were better days."

"They were," agreed Narcissa a bit wistfully.

What her sister said next dismayed her, "The Dark Lord was in his prime, he was going to restore the wizarding world to it's former glory." Of course that was what her sister was thinking of, it was what Lucius spoke of when he thought of those times too. It was always what was most important and sacrifices had to be made by all. Oh, and sacrifice she had.

On the next page were pictures of their family. Three very different girls sat together smiling and blinking (for it was considered tacky and of bad taste to wave) in front of their stern looking parents. Two of the girls were stunning, both in their own right. Bella with her dark, aristocratic looks and Narcissa with her ethereal appearance. One girl was rather plain and her picture self was not smiling but sitting rigid, frowning, and biting her lip. Her hair was long and mousy looking, she looked utterly out of place between her two sisters. Bellatrix's eyes narrowed and she hissed, "Blood traitor."

Although she nodded in agreement Narcissa could not help but think, _But she's happy, isn't she? And to think we're supposed to be the 'good daughters'. _Bella continued, "I can't believe you paid a visit to her and her...spawn."

"I was young," she protested.

"You were weak," disagreed Bellatrix, flipping the page shut on our estranged sister.

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Andromeda had agreed whole-heartedly to see her when she'd sent the owl. The letter she'd received in return had been warm and eager and Narcissa thought she must be lonely, though she could hardly blame her. After all. They'd been so segregated through their youth from all the other children that they'd come to rely on each other heavily. Narcissa shuddered at the mere thought of being cut off from the family, in the end they were all you really had, right? With a pinch of powder she entered the green flame and after a quick look around the study to make sure no one had seen called out, "The Tonks' residence."

Mrs. Tonks seemed rather alarmed when Narcissa stepped out of her fireplace but recovered quickly, she'd grown to expect the unexpected since her son had started attending Hogwarts. For her part Narcissa had to push her lips together to keep them from curling up in disgust. To think, her sister living with muggles! She traded her charmed life as a black for this? _I swear, sometimes I think that girl is crazier then Bella, _she thought in a bemused manner. "I'm looking for Andromeda." She stated coldly, but politely.

"Oh! Goodness, you must be her sister, she told me you'd be coming. Well, um, come in." She said, gesturing away from the fireplace. Narcissa stepped more fully into the room and gazed around at their decidedly bland home. Although she saw many peculiar things she had no interest in the muggle items.

"Pleased to meet you dear," Narcissa hesitantly held out her hand but Mrs. Tonks took her into a hug, much to her surprise and horror. Stiffly, she pulled away and nodded at the woman who seemed unfazed. "I'm afraid Andie doesn't talk much about her old home, she was so pleased when she received your letter."

Andromeda came into the room, smiling and pulled her into a warm hug causing her to stiffen but not pull away. _Affection is to be shown only in private and even then you should never lose yourself completely,_ her mother's voice sounded in her head. "Narcissa, you look wonderful!" She said softly, almost hesitantly.

"You too, sister," she responded automatically. It was true, Andromeda's face glowed and for the first time in her life she seemed genuinely happy. How could that be?

"Girls, would you like some tea? I have some in the kitchen." Mrs. Tonks spoke up from by the fireplace.

"Yes, thank you Mama Tonks." Andromeda said with a smile. Narcissa's eyebrow arched ever so slightly at the way she addressed the woman and the amount of affection in her voice. Eyes gleaming she turned and grabbed her sister's hand, "Come, Narcissa, I want you to meet Nymphadora."

"I don't–."She stopped upon seeing the look on her sister's face. "Okay, let's go see her."

Bellatrix had been enraged when she discovered that Andromeda had chosen an old family name for her daughter, as had many of their relatives. Narcissa, though, saw it as a sign of hope. Maybe this would not be a wasted visit after all. Against her will she smiled at the sight of her niece who was currently sporting blue hair.

"A rare gift." She commented, secretly surprised that the daughter of a mudblood had inherited such a gift.

"Yes," Andromeda laughed, a bright and tinkling sound, "She seems to have an affinity for odd colors."

"Er," she bent at the knees and looked down at the little girl seated at the dining room table who was dressed completely in muggle clothing, "hello Nymphadora, I'm Narcissa."

"'Ello Aunt N-n-'cissa." The blonde couldn't help but let out a guilty giggle at the sound of the childish pronunciation. And yet she couldn't bring herself to correct the girl about the nickname she only allowed those close to her to use.

Andromeda beamed and sat down in a chair, pulling the little four-year-old into her lap. Just then Mrs. Tonks walked into the room with a tea pot and two cups. On the way out she smoothed out Andromeda's brown hair. Turning to her sister Andromeda said, "So, how is Hogwarts?"

"Fine. I'm beginning to wish I'd began studying for the N.E.W.T's a few years ago," Narcissa replied pleasantly.

"Ah, well you'll manage through Narcissa. You're a powerful witch and you may be beautiful but you are also intelligent. You wouldn't be in Slytherin if you weren't." Narcissa actually felt her cheeks heat up at the words. Unused to compliments about her intelligence she simply nodded.

"Speaking of Hogwarts, what did you do with Nymphadora as you finished?"

"Oh, she stayed here. Mr. And Mrs. Tonks have been a real blessing. I missed her terribly though."

She was horrified. In a low voice she hissed, "You left her here with these muggles?" Half-blood or not she didn't like the idea of her niece being influenced by these people.

"Of course I did! Well, it isn't like they're going to hurt her. They love their granddaughter which is more then I can say for my own parents." She replied sharply.

Narcissa opened to protest this attack on her parents but was cut off by Andromeda who was playing with her daughter's feathery hair. "Have mother or father said anything?"

Oh, yes, they'd said plenty but nothing that she was willing to repeat to her sister. Their eldest sister also had several things to say as well and Narcissa was sure she'd have no problem saying them to Andromeda. "No, not really." She lied quietly.

Andromeda let out a heavy sigh and nodded her understanding. "Well, what did you expect?" she asked cautiously, coming around to the reason she was here today. "They gave you the choice to stay and you turned your back on us!"

"Who turned their back on whom?" Andromeda shot back, her face red with anger, "Mother gave me an option alright but only if I agreed to go to a healer and–." She didn't finish, simply held her daughter tighter to her.

"But you could come back! Is it really worth it? Leaving everything you had behind for...this?" Asked Narcissa, gesturing around to the house with distaste, "There's nothing here for you."

Brown eyes going cold she hissed, "My everything is here." She sat her chin down on the top of her daughter's head and continued vehemently, "Believe it or not, what I have here means more to me then anything in that hell hole ever did."

The words stung even though Narcissa didn't want them to and she longed to ask whether or not that included her. Growing up the three sisters had been the most important people in the world to each other. Now knowing that these people had took their place bothered her, "But Andie, we're your _family_."

"This _is_ my family," it was like a slap in the face.

"Fine. I hope you and your mudblood husband and your half-breed daughter are all very happy together. Traitor." She snarled.

"You can leave now." Andromeda said coldly.

As she marched over to the fireplace she heard Nymphadora ask, "Mummy, wha's wong wit' Aunt Cissa?"

"Nothing baby...she's just...confused right now."

And suddenly she was aware of the tears streaming down her face as she left her older sister, never to see her again.

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Alright the next chapter is in progress and it is called The Trouble With Muggles and it will be Bella-centric. I hope your all still enjoying the story and like where I'm going with it. By the way I wonder if you want me to develop the plot in present day too, or stick with the past? Although this fic will be past focused I may be willing to do a pit of an AU with the present as well.

Review, thanks for reading!


	3. The Trouble With Muggles

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Chapter:** Three, The Trouble With Muggles

**Authoress' Note:** I hope you like this chapter. It's about Bella's first encounter with muggles and how her hatred was emphasized. Please review, it helps me write.

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On the next page were pictures of Sirius which snapped her out of the memory of the last time that she had seen the middle sister. In her fragile state she wasn't sure it was a good idea for her to be looking at pictures of her former cousin. Well, they used to be pictures of Sirius. Bella had destroyed them the night that Sirius had turned his back on the family. Narcissa remembered her sister sitting at the foot of her bed that night and taking the quill to each image of him. She looked at the book where the two of them were covered in mud and had their arms thrown around each other. They'd been so close. And although Bella had not cried when he left, for it was a sign of weakness to cry, it had been an unfortunate day for any household object or house elf that got in her way.

Slamming the book shut Bellatrix drew her knees up to her chest and Narcissa decided it was time to move on from the pictures. Slowly, reverently, she opened the box next to it, full of the broken shards of girlhood. On top was a braid of brown hair that she had been reluctant to add to the box and had only done so at Bella's insistence. The braid was left over from one of Bella's first interactions with muggles, it hadn't been a pleasant one.

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It was summertime before any of us had gone to Hogwarts. Bellatrix had just turned ten, Andromeda was eight and Narcissa was five years old. We had come down from our home, to the small magical store in the mostly muggle town to pick up potion ingredients. Cambridge Village was a charming little town with one main street and many residential buildings on the side streets. It was overlooked by the Black Manor, set high on a cliff which was difficult to reach _with_ magic, let alone without it.

Mrs. Black walked rapidly towards the market and she struggled to keep up, gripping Andromeda's hand as they ran to stay the appropriate distance behind her. Bellatrix did not run, something that was supposedly unbecoming to Blacks, but walked swiftly beside her mother which was not allowed. However, when their mother glanced over at her oldest daughter she gave a slight, approving nod which was highly affectionate coming from the woman. After all, fate favors the bold. When their mother was talking to the shop owner (a rather frightening old crone who was missing an eye) Bella began to edge toward the door, dragging along her youngest sister. Quickly, she looked around to make sure that their mother was distracted as well as Andromeda who was a stickler for the rules. _Well, certain rules anyway,_ Narcissa noted as she saw her sister hiding behind a large crate with a muggle paperback she'd probably nicked from a local muggle store open on her lap. Next thing she knew the two of them were out in the hot summer sun and Bella through he head back and let out a laugh.

"Come on Cissa! Let's go explore!" The younger sister let out a hefty sigh, wishing that this had been a weekend that Sirius was visiting. He could always handle Bella's adventures as well as her mood swings.

She dragged her down the dirt road where they came upon a group of four children who were playing some sort of muggle game involving a ball. Bellatrix gave them a wide-eyed look and apparently they caught her attention because then she began to drag her youngest sister off toward them.

"Bella," the blonde whispered urgently, "do you have any idea what mother will do to you if she finds out you were talking to muggles?"

"Mother won't find out, now will she Narcissa?" Bella asked in a falsely sweet tone and with a meaningful glance.

"No," she responded meekly.

The two walked forward and stopped before the group. In the little time they had been permitted to visit other children her sister had learned that it didn't take long for people to take notice of her. These children however, did not seem to register her arrival and there was a flash of irritation in her sister's eyes.

"Excuse me." She said, causing the other kids to stop the game they were playing. There were two girls and two boys. One of the girls had startlingly red hair and bright green eyes while the other one had brown hair and a rather bony looking face. The boys looked similar, both with dirty blond hair although one had dark blue eyes and the other had light brown ones.

"Hi," said the redhead, holding out her hand, "I'm Lily and this is my sister Petunia. This is Bryan and Rob."

"Hello," said Bella, "I'm Bellatrix Black and this is my younger sister, Narcissa Black." She put an emphasis on her surname just as she'd been taught to in her etiquette lessons.

"Weird names," the bony girl commented with a distasteful sniff.

"They're family names," snapped Bellatrix, "and I would so the same about all of you."

"My sister didn't mean anything by it," said Lily with a warm smile, "Would you like to join our game?"

"Lily!" Protested Petunia.

"Hey, wait a minute. I know who they are! You two live in that creepy old house up on the hill, don't you?" Asked Rob, his blue eyes wide.

"We live in the manor, yes," Bella said, giving them all an appraising look.

"Is it really haunted?" Asked Lily tentatively, her eyes not fearful but curious.

"Well not for a while, Aunt Serenity moved on a couple of years ago," Narcissa explained with childish innocence.

The kids simply stared at them and Bella cuffed her younger sister in the back of the head for saying something like that. Lily looked at them with keen interest, which was odd for a muggle, but the rest of the children were still giving them odd looks.

"You know," Bryan began, "I've heard all sorts of things about your family."

_Well, who hasn't,_ Narcissa asked, wondering where he was going with this. Her older sister seem inexplicably tense all of a sudden. "I heard that the woman who live up there is a witch."

"Really?" Squealed Lily, who was young enough to believe the muggle fables about magic.

"Yes, I bet they are! Look at the way the freaks are dressed!"

"You're one to talk," spat Bellatrix, looking ready to fight if it came to that.

Suddenly one of the boys picked up a pebble and pelted her with it. Bellatrix let out a furious scream and pounced on him, using her weight to push him to the ground.

"Stop it!" Screamed the redhead, Lily, though no one paid her any mind.

The two boys managed (with some difficultly) to restrain the girl and hold her still while Petunia picked up a good sized rock and tossed it at her. In all of her childish stupidity, Narcissa ran forward to save her eldest sister and ended up face down in the mud. Staring down at her long, rose colored robes she began to cry. There was suddenly a burst of energy and All the kids were sent sprawling in opposite directions and into the mud. Expecting her savior to be her older sister she was shocked to find that it was Lily whose eyes were flaring and wind was whipping around her, lifting her red hair into the air. They screamed in terror and Petunia push her sister causing her to fall flat in the mud and they all began to run down the road. Lily watched them with fire in her eyes as rocks began to pelt themselves at the group. Bellatrix dragged herself up bleeding, dirty, and looking for all the world like a mini-warrior. Instead of looking thankful, she looked angry.

"I don't need your help, mudblood." She spat angrily, planting her foot in Lily's side and causing the girl to give out a small whine. Just then there were footsteps behind them and before they knew it their mother was bearing down on them.

"What are you doing!" She asked angrily. Narcissa noticed that Andromeda had lost her muggle book and was carefully holding her hand away from where it could touch anything on her body. _A nerve irritation spell on her hands,_ Narcissa realized with a wince. She'd suffered the same spell several times before and it hurt. Every little touch made your body scream with pain, even the wind could feel like needles pricking your skin. She strode over to her youngest child and smacked her none to gently on the cheeks. "Stop that whimpering, right now!"

"What are you doing, associating with these muggles?" She asked sharply to Bella, then she lifted her wand in the air and muttered, "_Sloanaco."_

Lily watched with a mixture of interest and horror as a line of blood slowly start appearing on her arm causing the girl to flinch in pain and grasp desperately at her arm. Mrs. Black informed her, "For letting yourself fall victim to muggles."

"As for you," she gave Lily a disgusted look, "I should obliterate you, but...let this be a lesson about messing with your betters."

Bella scurried away from her mother, seeking comfort from the sister who was closer to her age. She found none. Andromeda raised her head slightly and whispered with a slight smile, "That serves you right for going around terrorizing muggles."

Eyes flashing, Bella grabbed her sister's hand hard and refused to let go, "Andie, Blacks never take pleasure at seeing one of their own kin in trouble."

Weeks passed and Narcissa began to believe that all had been forgotten. She never realized that her sister had revenge on the brain until one night Bellatrix came in gripping the braid like some sort of trophy and Andromeda gasped in horror, "What did you _do_ Bella?"

"Why, just what mother said dear sister. I taught her who her better was."

Narcissa shivered and it had nothing to do with the draftiness of the manor.


	4. Parting of the Ways

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Chapter:** Four, Parting of the Ways

**Disclaimer:** All characters and ideas related to the Harry Potter universe are the property of J. K. Rowling and there is no copyright infringement intended by writing this story, no profit is being made.

**Authoress' Note:** The song was written by me and I hope I did okay with that, I'm not much for song or poem writing but hey, I felt it was a nice addition. Unfortunately you're only getting one for Bella because if I tried to write one for each I'm afraid I'd exhaust my creativity and this story would probably never get updated. (Hey, I'm honest about my reasoning, right?) The Blacks Sisters' mother's name and Sirius' mother's name is courtesy of and J. K. R.'s hand drawn family tapestry. You should check it out.

This chapter is rather longer then the other ones and I'm hoping it doesn't drag on and stays interesting.

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Narcissa put the braid aside, slightly disgusted by the memory. Although she did believe in the better breeding of purebloods she did not agree with the methods that some people, her sister and husband included, used to get that message across. She was perfectly content with the muggle and wizards living in separate worlds and leaving each other alone. Often she wondered if something could have been done for her sister or if even at that young age the girl had been doomed to become a deatheater.

The next object she pulled from the box was a much more cheerful one. A Slytherin prefect badge that her sister had not returned at the end of her seventh year and that sent her thinking about the sorting of each member of The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Ones she'd either heard about or seen first hand. Perhaps that was the first time there was a parting of ways for most members of the family...

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"_Long ago,_

_A school was made,_

_Where witches and wizards could go,_

_To learn the tricks of their trade._

_Four founders, alike in dignity_

_Were divided by their views. _

_Unable to make each other see,_

_They agreed to teach only those they choose. _

_Godric Gryffindor took the brave,_

_And like luck he favored the bold._

_Those with chivalry, who the innocent they'd save._

_Whose morals could not be sold._

_Helga Hufflepuff favored the kind,_

_Those who did not seek them but were willing to handle conflicts._

_In this loyal house you'll find,_

_Those who seek injustices to fix._

_Rowena Ravenclaw sought out the wise,_

_Those who used their mind._

_Those who with details were concise,_

_And refused to the truth to be blind._

_Salazar Slytherin was a shrewd man,_

_He sought those not ruled by emotion._

_He only admitted those who planned,_

_To set things into motion._

_So centuries later we sit in their hall,_

_To answer our magic that has called. _

_So place me on and I will know,_

_Where you ought to go." _

Bellatrix joined in with the polite clapping that scattered through the hall but couldn't help it when her eyebrow raised ever so slightly. A hat? A singing hat would be deciding their future, deciding where they were placed and what contacts they'd make for the next seven years? It was a rather ugly looking thing too, patched and dirty and it made her shudder to think about placing it on her head. A fearful girl was standing next to her, bouncing up and down on her heels. Bella couldn't help but sneer at the stout girl.

Twirling one strand of fiery red hair around her finger she asked, "What house do you want to be in."

"Where else, Slytherin. It's the only house worth being in." Bellatrix said cooly but not without politeness.

The red head nodded slightly, back then the house rivalries hadn't been as pronounce for it was before the war. Although it still existed it was something that one usually grew out of and was usually not indulged in by the older students. "Well, I don't know about that. All the houses have their strengths, right? I hope I'm in Gryffindor, although Hufflepuff wouldn't be too bad." At Bella's doubtful look she added, "Don't you think it's kind of nice, how they look out for each other?"

Bella almost snorted but stopped herself as that was a very un-Black thing to do, the idea of anyone wanting to be in Hufflepuff was a laughable one and Gryffindor was a bunch of imbeciles who couldn't think beyond their most current instinct. Neither house held any appeal to her any. That didn't matter though, every Black was sorted into Slytherin, completely without exception. Once in a while the family got a Ravenclaw, but the two houses were closely intertwined and only their morals varied.

"I'm Molly Rabenda, by the way." The girl said kindly with a warm smile. Bellatrix instantly recognized the pureblood name and returned the smile in a much more refined manner.

"I'm Bellatrix Black."

The girl let out a low whistle at her family name and Bella smile at the recognition. Just then a stern looking woman called Molly's name and the redhead scuttled up towards the hat. Bellatrix hadn't minded the girl's company as she usually didn't get on very well with children her own age and thought it was a pity they'd never end up in the same house. She sat on the stool for only a few moments before the hat declared loudly, "GRYFFINDOR!" Molly beamed and hurried over to her cheering table, flopping down beside another redheaded student who looked to be in about his third year. He said something to her and she laughed joyfully, obviously thrilled with the choice the hat had made for her. Just then the hat called her name and Bella strode purposefully up to the stool and placed the dirty hat on her head.

"_Ahh... a Black, eh? I remember your parents well, examples of what a Slytherin is, although you're not completely like them. No, no, no. Don't argue with me about it, I see what you have in you. You're certainly brave when it suits your purpose."_

Horrified Bella asked quickly in her head, _'You're not going to put me in Gryffindor are you?'_

If it was possible the hat chuckled_, "No dear, I don't believe Godric is your answer." _

'_Right, Salazar is.' _She thought firmly.

"_Are you sure about that? You have such a deep loyalty, once you find a person or cause worth devoting yourself to you stay loyal no matter what. A noble quality, and one found in Hufflepuffs."_

'_I may be loyal but I assure you that I'm not one of...them. I'm a Slytherin.' _Bella thought, enraged that the hat had dared to tell her that she belonged in the house of the badger.

The hat let out the hefty sigh of someone who see someone they care about making a mistake without realizing it, and she was a student and therefore it did care. Having seen her type a dozen times before the hat knew putting her in Slytherin would not bring anything good. However, the hat also knew that her type was stubborn (a trait all Blacks shared) and would not take well to being ordered to Hufflepuff. Finally the hat announced in a voice that wasn't nearly as resigned as it felt, "SLYTHERIN!"

Smirking she stood up and walked over to Slytherin where she was instantly accepted and cheered being from the family she was. It was a little known fact to outsiders who thought that seating at the Slytherin table was random that there was actually an order to the way they sat. Boldly she marched towards the head of the table and took a seat next to a blonde, and guessing from his appearance the boy was a Malfoy, she sat down firmly, glaring around and daring anyone to tell her to move to a lower positioned seat. For a moment Malfoy and another boy with brown hair simply stared at her in shock, as did the rest of the table until they both started to chuckle.

"Looks like we got a good batch of first years this time Rodolphus," laughed the blonde second year and the rest of the table relaxed and for the most part accepted her self-imposed ranking. She was home.

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After dealing with Andromeda her entire life their parents had suspicions that their middle child would not be in Slytherin. This seemed to upset their father much more then it upset their mother, even thought Mrs. Black was having none of her daughter's muggle nonsense. She was confident her daughter would be in Ravenclaw with her love of stories and learning. Ravenclaws usually ended up in the Ministry and how fitting would it be for a Black girl to take over a position that few woman ever graced? Her husband however said that the house was not very ladylike and his wife politely pointed out that only one of their daughters concerned herself with being ladylike while one ran wild (she was undoubtedly still scarred from the week Sirius had spent at her house and the schemes he and his oldest cousin had come up with) and the other one was very intelligent, more so then most wizards.

Sirius had been upset this past summer because his oldest cousin had returned from Hogwarts with a slightly superior attitude and had not been as interested in him. Therefore Andromeda found herself graced with the presence of her young cousin and to her horror found herself dragged into some of his crazy plans. She'd always been amused by the boy's antics but had never let on for fear of being involved in them, she'd made a point to avoid trouble with her parents. Sirius never seemed to have the same concern, in fact there were times that he seemed to antagonize his parents on purpose.

Even though she continued to complain about him, she quickly got used to his presence and found that he shared her love of funny muggle things. She snuck him down to the town to see a muggle movie and she'd never seen anyone so enthralled with special effects. Of course they'd spent several minutes under a rather creative curse from her mother for doing going down there. Soon she found herself rather fond of the little boy, so she was rather disappointed when her cousin returned to Bellatrix. When she first called to him to come play he looked overjoyed but then threw an uncertain glance over his shoulder at his cousin.

"Do you want to come, Andie? I'm sure Bella will let you if I ask her." Sirius looked hopeful but Andromeda knew for a fact that Bella would not let her join, the two of them had personalities that naturally clashed.

"No, that's alright Siri. I think I'm going to stay inside, I have a book I want to start anyway." Andromeda assured him and with one last uncertain glance the boy made his way off to join his cousin out behind the house. Andromeda watched wistfully as the two of them raced to the woods that lay to the south of the manor down towards the town. Their relationship was based mostly on the fact that they could handle each other's horrible stubbornness and strong personalities and the fact that they both harbored fierce competitiveness.

However, her heart was warmed when on her parting Sirius came running up to her at the house holding something behind his back. "Andie!" He shouted, plowing into her mid-section and causing her to laugh even as she fell to her bedroom floor. "I got you a going away present!"

"Why, thank you Sirius." Andromeda said happily.

He pushed his hands out from behind his back and held out three paperback books and explained, "I saved muggle money I found all summer and I bought these for you! Their fantasy just like you like. Muggles are funny, aren't they?"

"Yeah," she said with her eyes glowing, "but then with our families we shouldn't really talk, now should we?"

Laughing Sirius replied, "No, I guess not. Better watch out, Aunt Druella is looking to give you a talk about those 'fearsome mudbloods'."

With a roll of her eyes she said, "Oh yeah, if this family ceases to scare me, I don't think anyone else ever will."

Now she sat on the stool wit the Sorting Hat falling down over her eyes and waited for the verdict. It went as expected, _"Ah, another Black and you do see an appeal in learning don't you? However, where Slytherins only consider what learning can get them you enjoy learning for the sake of learning. You'll do extremely well in Ravenclaw. However, remember that Ravenclaws never blind themselves to the truth. For them ignorance is anything but bliss."_

"RAVENCLAW!"

Happily she leapt off the stool and made her way quickly to the house she'd always dreamt of being in. Quickly she glance over to her sister who was clapping and smiling at her while her Slytherin classmates followed her lead.

"Hi!" Greeted a brown haired boy seated at the table. "I'm Ted Tonks."

"Andromeda Black," she said with a smile, relaxing in her seat perfectly content in the knowledge that she could make herself and her family happy at the same time and believing that nothing could ever tear them apart.

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Narcissa had been in the same year as Sirius and her own sorting into the expected Slytherin paled in comparison to her cousin's when he became the first Black to ever be sorted into Gryffindor.

Bellatrix had been highly excited about getting her cousin and little sister at Hogwarts with her even if she was already in her fourth year. For weeks, Sirius and Bellatrix sat with their heads together planning what they would do once they got to the famous school together. Although Sirius and even a reluctant Bella asked her to join she said no, she made a point to stay clear of her sister when they were at school. She knew her sister wouldn't approve of her un-Black like behavior and friends she had made since she started going to Hogwarts and didn't want to screw up the temporary truce the two girls had.

Their Aunt Walburga coldly informed Sirius of how he was supposed to behave at Hogwarts and the two older girls listened in a bored fashion for they had both received this same discussion in a slightly less threatening way. The woman forced a heavy ring on his finger that was engraved with the Black family crest. Then the four boarded the Hogwarts Express and Bellatrix bid Sirius, Andromeda, and Narcissa a farewell, assuring the two first years that she would introduce them to her friends at school once he'd been sorted into Slytherin. Although Andromeda asked him if he'd like to join her, Sirius was going through his 'I'm not a baby' phase and he said he could handle going off on his own. So Andie headed off with Narcissa to find her friends.

Sirius walked along peering into each of the compartments, having several offers to join people but not feeling interested. Finally he came to a compartment near the back of the train where one person was sitting. It was a boy with brown hair who was extremely thin for his age and had odd scars running along his arms and neck. Intrigued he opened the door all the way open and asked, "Can I sit here?"

For a moment the boys simply blinked up at him through amber eyes but then nodded slowly, "Yeah, go ahead."

"Thanks. I'm Sirius."

"Remus." The boy responded with a shy smile that made Sirius grin, for some reason he found the shyness of the other boy extremely endearing.

They chatted about their families and Hogwarts and muggle books they had read (as it turned out Remus' mom was a muggle and Remus didn't have to steal muggle books and hide them). Fascinated, he started asking questions about what it was like to live with a muggle and he got confused on several occasions which only made Remus laugh. Usually this would have bothered him but oddly enough with Remus it didn't. Suddenly the compartment door banged open and Remus suddenly fell quiet and sunk back in his seat. There stood a very messy-haired, bespectacled boy who was laughing along with a small pudgy boy whose laughter seemed rather forced.

"Oi! Sorry mate, we thought this compartment was empty. Mind if we sit here?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair, mussing it more.

Sirius glanced at Remus who hesitantly nodded and then shrugged at the two boys who flopped down. The boy with glasses spoke, "I'm James Potter and this here is Peter Pettigrew, I just met him on the train too. I guess you two have known each other for a while."

They looked at each other, "No, we just met when I got on the train, why?"

"You just seem like you've been friends for a while. Anyway, who are you?"

"I'm Sirius Black and this is Remus Lupin." Sirius told him.

"Black?" James had a guarded expression on his face.

"Yes." Sirius said sharply, not really happy about being judged by someone who hardly knew him.

"I've heard things about your family–." James began but he was cut off when their door exploded open and a redhead slammed it shut behind her, gasping.

"...hello." Sirius said sarcastically, not in the best mood. Remus gave him a reassuring smile, clearly telling him not to let James get to him.

"What's wrong?" Asked James, ignoring Sirius.

"I-I..." The girl had tear stains on her cheeks.

There were voices outside and he heard a female voice that Sirius unfortunately recongnized calling, "Come on, she went in here."

"Are they bothering you?" Asked James, standing up and heading towards the door just as in opened to reveal Bella and two boys he didn't recognize.

"Trying to hide, mudblood?" Asked a blonde boy with an ugly sneer.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Snapped James, putting himself between the boys and his cousin. Not a very smart move mind you, but brave and it made Sirius smile a bit.

After an appraising look Bellatrix snapped, "Potter, I would suggest you stay out of this. Her kind shouldn't even be allowed here."

"So her _blood_ is the reason that you're terrorizing her? She's a first year, she doesn't even know any magic." Shouted Sirius angrily, standing up to back up James. This got a weird look from James who nevertheless was thankful for the help and a sigh from Remus who was wishing that he had friends like that.

"Siri, you don't understand these things," she said smoothly.

Before he could reply there was the sound of footsteps and an older Gryffindor was looking in at them, prefect badge shining against his black robes. "Is there a problem here?"

"Yes. Bella is picking on first years." Snapped Sirius to his older, second-cousin Frank Longbottom.

Frank looked angrily at her and barked, "The three of you, detention. And I plan on taking points from Slytherin when we arrive at school. Off to a bad start aren't we?"

The boys both gasped, never in Bella's four years at Hogwarts had another student dared to give her a detention. Glaring, she spun on her heels and marched away from them. In the hall he heard Andie ask in a worried voice, "Bella, you're not going to do anything rash, are you?"

"No, dear sister, revenge is a dish best served cold." Bella responded and Sirius suddenly felt very, very sorry for Frank.

"Thanks Frank." Longbottom gave him a smile and walked away leaving the five children together, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...it's just, everyone hates me," whispered the redhead tearfully, "My sister hates me because I'm magic and they hate me because my family isn't."

"It's okay," James said quietly, "Not everyone thinks like that. Only purebloods with their heads too far up their–." There the redhead reached out and swatted him, causing the other three boys in the compartment to laugh.

"I'm Lily." They all made introductions to her and enjoyed the rest of the ride with Sirius and James using sweet wrappers to demonstrate Quidditch plays they had seen and Lily and Remus making fun of them while Peter watched quietly.

Now sitting on the stool Sirius wished he could be brave like James had been on the train. Professor McGonagall slid the hat down over Sirius' eyes and the hat gave a small, suprised laugh, _"In all my time I never thought I'd see a Black who belonged in Gryffindor."_

'_What!'_ Sirius thought, _'Gryffindor?'_ He wanted to be there but he didn't see how it was possible.

"_Yes my boy, you're loyal, chivarous, and above all brave. Just think about what you did on the train."_

Frowning Sirius replied, _'Yes, but any decent person would have done that."_

The hat felt annoyed, the boy wanted to be in Gryffindor and yet he was still arguing with the hat. Why were kids argumentative these days? _"Yes, but not all people are decent Sirius, trust me, you belong in..."_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Bellatrix gasped and slammed her hand down on the fork she'd been spinning around absently and turned wide, grey eyes towards the stool where Sirius was stumbling away, looking rather confused. Narcissa was asking a question softly from beside her sister, but Bella just looked hopelessly over at the seat she'd been saving for her cousin. Slowly the anger began to build up inside her. Meanwhile she noticed her sister smiling traitorously at Sirius and clapping loudly to show her support. The Gryffindors eventually started clapping but it took them a moment to overcome the shock of having a Black sorted into their house. Pretty soon all four boys from their compartment had been sorted into Gryffindor and the future terrors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding enjoyed the feast together, although Sirius didn't seem to eat that much.

Bella meanwhile was absolutely fuming and wondering how this could have happened. After the dinner Sirius broke away from their prefect and quietly went to seek out his cousins. Andie grabbed his arm. "Siri," she began gently, "This isn't the best time to talk to Bellatrix right now, she's a little upset."

"Andie...tell her I want to talk to her." He said, looking innocent and vulnerable.

"Okay, I will Siri." Andromeda smiled gently at the little boy and returned him to his prefect. Meanwhile she wondered how she was going to tell her aunt about this, she was already forming the letter in her head. She was proud of both her cousin for getting into Gryffindor and breaking the vicious cycle of the Black family but she was also proud of her sister. Today during the feast Narcissa hadn't spent her time sucking up to the powerful upperclassmen even though there was plenty of oppurtunity with Lucius Malfoy at the table. Instead, she'd found someone who needed a friend, a sickly looking little boy with greasy black hair and tried to make friends with him. Narcissa had always had the natural instinct to nurture people, it was a shame their mother had never had any kids after her because Narcissa would have made a great older sister.

Sirius laid across his bed and stared at the rich, red curtain. All the plans his mother had laid out for him had gone down the drain the minute that the hat had made that announcement. And that's what he'd always wanted, wasn't it? He was free. The words sounded good in his head, he stood up and strode over to the window and eased it open, removing the hated ring from his finger and tossing it to the ground below.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" James asked from over his shoulder.

"Nothing, getting some air." He said in a chilly voice, still sore from the incident on the train.

"Look mate, I'm sorry that I judged you on the train. I was being a jerk, just like the purebloods who judge people because of their family."

"..it's alright. I'm used to it, but I'm not like them." Sirius insisted.

"Yeah, I know. Listen, I heard that there's supposed to be an entrance to get into the kitchen, want to try to find it?" At this Sirius' stomach gave a loud growl and they both laughed.

"Get some shoes on," James told him, running over to his trunk and pulling out some silver piece of fabric.

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By time little Reggie came around so much had happened. The Marauders had been formed and found out about Remus' condition and began their work towards becoming Animagus although the young boy remained in the dark about this. Andromeda had gotten pregnant and wanted to marry a Mudblood boy and had promptly been blasted off the family tree. Sirius' and Bella's competitiveness had lost it's friendliness and become a grudge between them and Sirius had fell out of favor with their parents. Bella had graduated and joined up with a small group of activists supporting purebloods.

Regulus was uncomfortable and yet glowing under the attention of their mother. He was used to being ignored, being the second son made him less important then his brother and usually they didn't spare much time for him. However, since Sirius got sorted into Gryffindor and after several letters from disgruntled Hogwarts' staff they began to pay more attention to their younger son.

Now he sat and his brother was looking at him pleadingly from his spot at the Gryffindor table, begging him to be on his side. Nervously he sat down on the stool and waited thought about which house he should be in. He felt a loyalty to his older brother and yet he felt a greater one to his family as a whole. His mother's voice ringing in his head, _"Reggie, we all hold the honor of this family and some of us...carry that honor a little better then others. I need you to be one of those people Regulus." _

So he made the only choice he could and turned his back on his brother. Sirius let out a disappointed breath, not sure why he'd expected any different. Suddenly, he felt very lonely despite his surrounding friends. Remus squeezed his hand supportively, correctly guessing what was wrong with his boyfriend. Sirius offered a slight smile, and turned his attention away from his family.

The sorting was where The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black began to fall apart.

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**The Future of The Story:** Well, I've made some decisions about this story while writing this chapter.

1)Sirius and Remus will be together, future chapters although not graphic, will be slash.

2)Narcissa and Snape were friends during school and I will go into detail about him and make him a main character in this story.

3)I will come through the books (sticking with mostly canon) and write out the end of the war as I see it for all of the main characters. So yes, this will be a longer fic.

Thanks for reading, tell me what you think, about this chapter and future ideas!


	5. Claim What's Ours

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Chapter:** Five, Claim What's Ours

**Authoress' Note:** Please take the time to review! Magical Quest is sort of the wizarding version of Capture the Flag.

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Perhaps the reason they fought so much was because ever since a young age they had been forced to compete with each other. As the eldest children of two different Black families their parents constantly egged them into fights and 'friendly' competitions. Sirius' parents wanted to prove that he belonged as the rightful heir to the Black fortune. Bella's family (which had been cursed with two many daughters and not one son) wanted to show that their daughter (who had shown much promise in her youth) had just as much worth as the young man who was to carry on the family name.

Or perhaps it was the fact that Bella had once stolen her mother's wand and turned her cousin's hair pink and no one had been able to turn it back so they'd been forced to wait for it to wear off. Of course Sirius was never one to take such things lying down. For retribution he had set of dungbombs at Bella's eleventh birthday, which was an important day in a young witch's life.

Then again it could be the fact that they were so very much alike. Stubborn, brash, headstrong. Neither had the subtleness that was the trademark of the pureblood families and for this reason they both drove their parents half mad. As long as Narcissa could remember her parents had been worried that Bellatrix would never make a respectable marriage and that she would always be a tomboy.

See, Bellatrix saw the world in black and white, right and wrong, love and hate. Of course her opinions of right and wrong would make most wizards and witches blanch, but to her there was no grey area. There were those she hated (Frank Longbottom, Dumbledore, their father) and those whom she loved (Narcissa, Andromeda, Lucius Malfoy).Sirius seemed to have a habit of being the exception to every rule. The only Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, a black who was willing to stand against Voldemort (something that even Andromeda had never had the courage to do), and the only person to be both hated and loved by Bellatrix. Both were done with passion, she either adored him or was cursing him.

A good example of them getting along (although that's not to say that night was completely void of any fights) came during a summer celebration at the three sister's home. Their cousin was in attendance as well as several of the other purebred children that their parents deemed worthy of coming to the party. The adults were all congealing around the ballroom, pretending to be interested in what each other were saying. After suffering being strutted around like a prized horse most children had escaped to the outside.

The girls had been taught only manners and mostly sat giggling or playing with dolls, especially if, unlike Narcissa and Andromeda, they had not had an older sister and younger cousin to teach them how to cause a little bit of trouble. Most of the boys were looking for a little bit of fun and were gathering together to plan. Bellatrix lifted her chin and strode to the center of the circle to take charge of the group. Enough of them had been put on play dates with Bellatrix to know better then to argue with this.

"I say that we play Magical Quest." Bella stated and most of the boys nodded their agreement and started making bets on who would win. A sandy haired boy leaned over to a boy who looked like him but was younger, it could only be his younger brother and whispered, "Well, whoever has that savage hag of a Black on their team is sure to win."

Andromeda and Narcissa backed away from their sister whose eyes were flashing. Hands on her hips she demanded, "Does that include you, sir?"

Well that had done it, on one hand he had just stated all would lose to her because she was not a proper young witch. On the other hand he had that horrible male pride that so many wizards seemed to carry and had trouble admitting that he, the heir of the Lestrange family, could be beaten by a mere girl. Saving face he purred, "Was that a challenge, my dear lady?"

"It very well could be. Would you accept it?"

"But Bellatrix, that's a boy's game!" Complained Narcissa, quivering at the idea of such rough housing and what it would do to her dress and hair which had taken a while for their mother to perfect. Her older sister had no concerns though and shook off the eight year old girl.

"Let's say you be captain and I'll be captain and we'll see who can run a better team." She suggested, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder.

"Fine but remember that there is no shame in a witch losing to a wizard." At this the girl's dark grey eyes flash and her sisters have no doubt in who will win this battle.

Most girls chose to sit out of this competition, including Narcissa and Andromeda who both sat near the group and watched in awe as their older sister commanded the boys into her group. Rodolphus picked Sirius, hoping to annoy Bella but the dark haired girl merely shook her head. That way was better anyway, she could win and hold it over both their heads. Andromeda, always the kind one and knowing what it was to be left out of her siblings affairs called, "Sirius? Where is Regulus, perhaps he would like to play."

The heir of the Black family turned to scowl at her, "Probably curled up on mother's lap as always." His bitterness was not lost on her, even at that age he had begun to show signs of being a Gryffindor and their mother had began to focus her attention on Regulus, hoping the neglect would bring her older son into line. It only made him rebel further. "It doesn't matter, he whines whenever he gets hurt. Just leave him out of it."

He dutifully ignored Andromeda's disapproving look and turned back to plan with his team captain. In the end Bella ended up sending Rabastian Lestrange to hide their glowing orb and Rodolphus sent Sirius to hide their, they probably made this decision because of the size of the two boys. After three minutes they were all off and their was the laughter and rowdy shouting that accompanied the game. Andromeda and Narcissa watched as an older girl was captured by the other team and imprisoned in the magical prison that would hold her until the end of the game.

Bellatrix moved silently and cheated just a bit. It was a little known fact that purebloods had a good sense for magical sources (magic calls to magic) and her mother had been one who was still aware of this old power. She had taught it to her oldest daughter in secret, not wanting her father to protest teaching such a skill to a girl, and taught it to her alone. Not her cousins, not her sisters, just to her and it confirmed her belief that she was special to the wizarding world and that she was meant for something great. Closing her eyes, she let the gentle pulse of the orb lead her towards it and smiled when she saw it. The ball of light had been hidden among a thicket where she could not possibly reach without getting her hair and dress captured.

With a sigh she ran down to where her team was half-guarding their orb and she grabbed Rabastian who could easily fit through the thicket with minimum damage. She dragged him along and into the woods to where the orb was located. The little boy was excited to get to be the hero but froze when he saw that Rodolphus was guarding it. Bellatrix was amused by this, knowing that her sisters would never go against her either. Then again the heir to the Lestrange was not nearly as frightening as her and she figured that his little brother just needed a little convincing to take one for the team.

"Come on Rabastian! It's not that hard, you can slip past him, you're small." She insisted, putting a hand on the thirteen-year-old's shoulder, flattering him with the attention.

"Easy for you to say! You don't have to live with him!" Shrilled the boy, making an attempt to be reasonable but sounding rather cowardly.

Rolling her eyes she let out a rather unladylike sigh and nodded, "Fine, fine. I'll take care of your brother as long as you get the orb."

"Why don't _you _get it?"

"I'd rather. Believe me, I would and my dear cousin knew this." A smile tugged at the edge of her lips, "So, him being the clever little boy he is, put it where he knew I couldn't go tonight. Usually I wouldn't mind getting a little scratched up if it means I win, but tonight my dress and hair would be caught and I would be sent to the prisons. Now, go on."

The little boy tentatively made his way forward and looked back to get the raven haired girls approval but she was no longer there. Panicking, he whirled around in a full circle looking for her but to no avail. In the process he managed to make quite a bit of noise and his brother looked in his general direction. Breath catching, he stumbled behind a tree and hid there. Just when he thought he was done for there came a loud _thump_ from over in the opposite direction. Rabastian let out a breath of relief and ran to the orb of light, bramble scratching along his skin. He was reaching, reaching, and his hands closed around it. Letting out a yelp of victory, he tore back off towards their side of the forest.

Meanwhile Bella put her hands on her hips and looked out after the young teen wondering why she picked someone so stupid to be on her team. Rodolphus had lost interest in her hiding place and took off after his brother, forcing her to follow. Excitement coursed through her veins as she ran the older boy down, crouching low she leapt and landed square on his back. With a growl low in her throat and determination running through her mind she dragged him to the ground and fiercely pinned him to the ground. Rodolphus was momentarily stunned by the girl shoving his shoulders into the ground.

"Geroff!" He shouted, although it came out strangled since she had knocked the air out of him on the way down.

Bellatrix gave him a rather feral grin and bared down harder. Coming to his senses he rolled upwards and struggled to shove off the girl which was no easy feat as she employed her legs and nails to stop him. Rodolphus was trying to remember his manners the best he could but the newly bleeding gash on his cheek was making that difficult. Finally he managed to shove her about a foot away and she looked ready to jump him again, until she heard the cheers of her teammates and knew that they had won. With a triumphant grin, she turned her back on him and took off running in the direction of her team, lifting her dress up to keep from tripping on it. With a shake of his head, he followed her. When he got there his little brother was amidst his team being congratulated and patted on the back.

A rather sullen looking Sirius approached him, "Why didn't you stop your brother?"

"Excuse me? Besides your beast of a cousin?"Snapped Rodolphus.

Gloating, Bella held her head up high and laughed, "Not bad for a mere witch, huh?"

Sirius leaned forward with a smirk and whispered something in the boy's ear. With a wicked grin he said, "No, not bad at all Trixie."

Her smile instantly faded at the use of the disrespectful and patronizing nickname. "Take that back."

"Why should I?"

With that she snapped and hit him across the face and soon they were rolling around on the ground and all of the young witches and wizards were gathering around and shouting out their preferred champion's name. Things suddenly went quiet although the two on the ground were oblivious to it, Mr. Lestrange moved through the group of children followed closely by Mrs. Black. Something that should be understood about Bella is that she lives to the letter of the law in the presence of authority figures and will only rebel when she can't be caught. So the minute their mother stepped into the circle the girl disentangled herself for Rodolphus.

"Rodolphus! What have you mother and I always told you about hitting girls?" Asked his father sharply. The girls' mother simply walked and put a gently hand on her oldest daughter's shoulder.

"_That_," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Bellatrix, "is not a girl. That is a bloody Hellion." Mr. Lestrange sharply cuffed his son for the language and gave their mother an apologetic smile before dragging the boy off towards the house.

"Come on dear," whispered Mrs. Black with what looked like it could be a smile forming on her cold face. Which completely beat Andromeda, their mother never smiled, their mother had no sense of humor. "Let's go inside and talk."

On the way to the house Bellatrix worried that she was in trouble for fighting and behaving in an unladylike manner. If her father had been there she certainly would have been in trouble for exactly that reason. However, if anything the woman seemed pleased with her for some odd reason. Gently, she led her daughter to the couch and sat her down, then she began to pace, lost deep in thought.

"Love, I'm pleased with you. Do you know why?" She said staring down at her daughter. Bella was no fool, she knew that this was not an innocent question but a test. Not sure of the answer, she stared down at her feet and completely ignored the question. "Bellatrix! Answer me."

"No. I don't."

She got down on her knees and grasped the girl's hands in her own and held them tight, "Because you stood your ground. You're different love, different from the rest of the girls. You're meant for something more and no one can stop you. All these wizards are working so hard to bring glory to the wizarding world and if they think we witches are going to roll over and take the backseat in this new order they are sadly mistaken."

Standing up she walked over to a locked cabinet and removed a beautiful necklace. "Bellatrix, this necklace contains the power and protection of the Black family. In the past it has been passed down from heir to heir but it was 'lost' many generations ago. We both know who truly should represent this family. We both know who deserves this power." She stroked the Black crest at the end of the chain and gently pulled it over her daughter's head. Planting a kiss of the girl's forehead she whispered, "Make us proud. It's time that Black women claim what's ours."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Bellatrix returned to her room that night beaming and refusing to tell her sisters what she had talked about with their mother. That night she had odd dreams full of swirling power and blood and she felt something she couldn't describe flowing through her. When she awoke she didn't remember the nightmares from the night before. The nightmares that would shape her future. The nightmares that would ultimately be her downfall and would haunt her in a way the demeantors never could.

Hope you liked this chapter! The next one should be up in a few days, please review!


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